Are you up for some skinny dipping?
Or, how about wading in the water in your underwear?

Oh, you want a changeroom?  Privacy?  You don’t want to look silly?  Oh, you want to change out of sight and put on some modest swimwear for the water.

Modesty, you know.

We’ll get you something to change into, and a changeroom.
We’ll set that up.  You’ll go into the water next week…  or next month…  or next year  …or not at all.

(Well done – that just cost you your salvation, your proper, powerful Christian life, and the salvation and Christian lives of billions of people who follow your example.)

James 1:22
   But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only

God’s call to us:
2 Timothy 1:9
   Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling…

Romans 1:6
   Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ

If called, follow immediately.
Matthew 4:19-20
   And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
   And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

Acts 9:6
   Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
Paul immediately went to the city.
Acts 9:8
   …they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.

The foolish ignore the urgency.
Luke 12:19-20   
   And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
   But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee

2 Corinthians 6:2
   behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

It was too late for these potential brides.
Matthew 25:10-13
   …the door was shut.
   Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
   But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
   Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

It was too late for Esau.  He missed his moment.
Hebrews 12:16-17
   …as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
   For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Isaiah 55:6
   Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near

Your reaction to the call will determine if you are chosen to be with Christ.
Matthew 22:14
   For many are called, but few are chosen.

Ephesians 1:4-5
   According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
   Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will

When called, Christians have specific ways to approach God and serve.
We approach God through Christ.
1 Timothy 2:5
   For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

John 14:6
   Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Praying in Christ’s name:
John 14:13
   And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

We repent.
Repentance is a decision to give our whole selves to Christ unconditionally for his purposes.
Acts 17:30
   And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent

Acts 3:19
   Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out

And be baptized. 
Acts 2:38
   Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Not just sprinkling of water: full immersion.
Acts 8:38
   …they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

Confess your sins.
Matthew 3:6
   And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

James 5:16
   Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.

Go forth:
Matthew 28:19-20
   Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
   Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you

In fact, the new converts to Christianity were baptized quickly, with a sense of urgency.
The baptism didn’t even wait until morning.
Acts 16:33
   And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

Here is water.  Why wait?
Acts 8:36-37
   And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
   And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Acts 22:16
   And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

3,000 baptized on the same day of conversion:
Acts 2:41
   Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

The Apostle Paul was blinded for 3 days and fasted for 3 days.
When he received his sight and the Holy Ghost, he was baptized, even before eating food.
Acts 9:18-19
   And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
   And when he had received meat, he was strengthened.

What is this baptism?
Water cuts off sin from God’s people – like Noah’s ark in the Great Flood, or Moses’ people when the Red Sea swept away evil.
1 Peter 3:20-21
   …the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
   The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us

Exodus 14:27-29
   And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
   And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.
   But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

We die with Christ in a watery grave, and are reborn.
Romans 6:4
   Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

The Law could only put us to death.
Once we have died with Christ, the Law cannot do anything more to us, as we have already suffered the only penalty (death) that the Law can give us.
Galatians 2:19-20
   For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
   I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

While Christ had no sins to repent of, he was baptized.
And then, the Holy Spirit and the Father bore witness.
Luke 3:21-22
   Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
   And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

The overwhelming majority of Christian leaders will say that water baptism is not necessary for salvation or a proper, powerful Christian life.
They point to the idea of our salvation not being by works…

Ephesians 2:8-9
   For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
   Not of works, lest any man should boast.

…Or the criminal who was saved on the cross.
Luke 23:42-43
   And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
   And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

The criminal who was dying on the cross beside Christ did not have time.
We do, and we are accountable.
Luke 12:48
   For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

No guarantee of salvation and being a proper, powerful Christian exists without water baptism.
Mark 16:16
   He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned

And regarding works – we are clearly commanded to baptize with urgency.
Luke 6:46
   And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

James 2:17
   Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Why are so many Christian leaders eager to explain away water baptism?

If this baptism is so important – urgent even, then why don’t most churches perform it?

And why do the few churches that water baptize with full immersion do it once a month (at best) or every few months?

All the Ethiopian man needed was reasonably deep water for baptism.
Acts 8:36
   …See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

And that’s all we need.

Oh, but water baptism conflicts with that non-Biblical doctrine: ‘modesty.’
That false god.

Professing Christians have twisted ‘modesty’ from avoid excessing spending on clothing, hair, and jewelry to simply ‘covering up’ with clothing.
1 Timothy 2:9
   …women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;

Because, not only do we need water for full immersion, but also we need a change room, modest clothes to change into – and really an indoor pool would be best with nearby changing facilities.
The neighbours might see us looking silly.  Dignity, you know.

Now, it’s a hassle.  And, it’s easier to explain away what was a simple act, and do it rarely, or simply not do it.

Oh, our love of dignity.
2 Samuel 6:21-22
   ….therefore will I play before the LORD.
   And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight

1 Corinthians 3:18
   Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

1 Corinthians 4:10
   We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.